


There Is No Age Difference When You Are This Old

by redlionspride



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Age Difference, Book of Nile, Community: theoldguardkinkmeme, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Minor Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nicky gives terrible advice, Prompt Fill, but it's still helpful, unsupervised use of google translate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26812960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlionspride/pseuds/redlionspride
Summary: Nile has feelings for Booker, but as much as she flirts, he doesn't seem to notice. Nicky, Joe and Quynh all give Nile good advice. Booker is just hard on himself and needs to knock it out. Does any of that advice work?
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 12
Kudos: 209





	There Is No Age Difference When You Are This Old

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt fill for theoldguardkinkmeme! 
> 
> The prompt was: Booker/Nile - Age Difference?  
> "They are the two youngest, but he's like 250 years older, and 42 when he died! He completely doesn't see Nile's flirtations with him because HE assumes he's too old for her.
> 
> She's 26, or 126, or 426.... doesn't matter. She's old enough to flirt with the hot sad man.
> 
> Nile has to prove to him she doesn't see him as old. Or at least convince him that she's old enough to decide she loves someone." 
> 
> Prompt Found Here: https://theoldguardkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/4108.html?thread=1425932#cmt1425932

“It’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes.” Nile complains to Nicky one day after she had finished working with Booker. The two of them were in the kitchen talking while Nicky taught her how to make a proper meal. “I’ve tried literally everything but saying it out right, and I don’t feel I need to do that.” 

She rubbed her hand over a warmed cheek, blushing about even talking about this. 

Nicky, in his apron and towel over his shoulder properly, listened and cut carrots for a dish. “Why is this the first I’ve heard of this?”

“Because you are blind when it comes to the romance of others, _habibi_.” Joe said from his chair at the kitchen table, a sketch book in hand, drawing both NIle and Nicky in the kitchen. “She has been flirting with Booker for over a few decades now.” 

“Decades? Oh Nile.” Nicky said, shocked, standing there with a knife in his hand and a confused look. Why was it taking so long? “I’m sorry I never noticed. I could have given you advice, much much sooner.” 

“Advice is good.” Nile said, but Joe snorted. 

“You do not want his advice.” Joe said without looking up, knowing Nicky was shooting him a flat look. 

“Excuse me, love, what was that?” Nicky said flatly, indeed shooting him a look, a knife still in his hand. 

“Your advice is good, but not for all situations, my moon.” Joe said simply, then glanced up at last, sighing. “Go on. Ask for his first thought of advice.” 

Nile turned to look from Joe to Nicky, questioning. “What would you think first?” 

Nicky blinked, then looked at Nile earnestly. “Stab him? It worked for me.” 

Joe snorted so loudly that Nicky smiled, going back to chopping. “Well, it did work for me. Perhaps that is not the best thing for our Booker however.” 

“Wouldn’t hurt.” Joe mumbled faintly to himself. 

“I’m not going to _stab_ anyone! That’s terrible advice!” Nile said in shock. 

Nicky stopped and looked at her, as if mildly hurt (he was not). “I’m hurt.” He really was not. “You think my advice has no grounds for approval?” 

Joe stood up, moving around the table to go to Nile’s back, resting his hands on the shorter woman's shoulders. He leaned down and kissed the back of her head, peeking over her a bit. “It is not the best advice, though it did work for him. It worked for me as well. It was not, however, healthy, no matter how strangely romantic it was in the end.” 

He squeezed her shoulders and she leaned back into him, having grown accustomed to their affections and contact being a constant in all their lives. 

“He is right.” Nicky pointed the knife at the two of them as he said it. “It is strangely romantic, _now_. Perhaps when it happened, not so much.” 

“I don’t want to stab him. I want to _shake_ him.” Nile said with a deep sigh, leaning into Joe as Joe wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a backwards hug.

Nicky reached over with his other hand to pinch her cheek so softly. “Do not frown, _mia caro_. Now that I know, I will help, Unlike Yusuf here, who has stood by for decades and said nothing.” He gave Joe a look that said ‘how could you’ before smiling, because it was hard not to smile at his love.

“Oh no. I don’t need you two to help.” Nile said, her hands spreading out suddenly, as if to stop Nicky from any schemes he might be plotting. “It’s fine. I can continue to drop hints and watch as he ignores them. He most likely isn’t interested.” 

“Oh, he is interested, _habibi_.” Joe said fondly, smiling down at her. “He just doesn’t realize he is. It has been a very long time since he has allowed himself to be loved.” 

“There are hurdles.” Nicky added, waving his knife back and forth as he spoke before going back to chopping. “He has gotten better though, since returning from exile.”

Nile was the leader of the group now, since Andy had passed on some years before. Quynh had settled, having spent as long as possible with Andy. Now their team of six was just the five of them, though Quynh was a bit of an outlier. She still stayed, because this was Andy’s family, and thus her’s as well. 

Nile had grown close to all of her found family, and though the loss hit them all hard, Andy being gone had left her huge shoes to fill. And fill them she was. She listened to her team, her family, and she used her brain. They worked with Copley’s grandson now. The young man kept up the Copley tradition of working secretly with the group. 

Booker’s time in exile had been a full 100 years, though Andy had seemed to forgive him much sooner with the return of Quynh. She had offered for Booker to return sooner, even if Joe was not ready, but Booker knew HE himself was not ready. That he needed his punishment. He spent the last 75 years in some form of contact with Andy, and he was there when she passed away, crying with the rest of them. 

He spent 25 of those years mourning Andy. The rest of them were spent sobering up, getting help and learning to love himself again. 

In the end, he was a much better man, much happier. 

He was someone that Nile had fallen for, several decades ago. 

The team was in perfect balance. Nile was the leader and walked first into fire (the old rule of eldest goes first was abandoned after a while). Leader takes the lead. At her left was always Booker, keeping her covered and safe from behind. At her Right, Joe, a tank and strong man in a fight. Nicky and Quynh kept the back if they were in a group together, or each had their own posts. Nicky, their sniper with an eagle eye, and Quynh the wild card, able to take out guards so silently that even the Old Guard had trouble keeping eyes on her. 

They worked in perfect sync, and Nile was a good and strong leader. She took every ounce of training and lesson from Andy to heart and put it to practical use. 

And Nile, much like Andy, was here to protect her family. Every one of them. She loved them all, but her heart had fallen for one of them in a different way. 

“Hurdles are one thing, but he feels like I’m running an entire mile of hurdles.” Nile said, frowning sadly, her arms coming around her as Joe held her close. 

“Just tell him you love him, Nile.” Nicky said softly, reaching a clean hand out to rest on the top of her head, like he was about to pray for her. A soft voice and a soft touch. “He’s well read and very intelligent but in the same hand he is a very stupid man sometimes.” 

“What my love is trying to say is the block head doesn’t see himself as worthy still, so he won't see you until he sees himself. It is subtle, but there are still signs of his distress.” 

Nile nodded, eyes down. “I know. I’ve seen it. I try to bring him up, but he doesn’t see me as anything but the baby of the group. The youngest.” 

Joe squeezed her before letting go, kissing her head once more and turning to look her in the face. “You _are_ the baby, and will be for some time, but he sees you as our Leader as well. He respects you, but not himself. That is his hurdle.” 

Nile sighed but nodded again, turning to hug Joe from the front, swiftly, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for the advice.” 

“Hey…” Nicky said from the counter. 

Nile went to his side and looped her arms around his arms, pinning them a moment, and pressed a kiss to his cheek as well. “Thank _you_ as well. If all else fails, I’m going to stab him.” She chuckled. 

They all chuckled. 

Joe nodded his head to the kitchen archway, saying softly. “Go on. I want to snuggle with my husband while he cooks and I delay dinner.” He smiled mischievously. 

Nile left the kitchen chuckling, shooting a soft “Ew, get a room you two.” In a teasing tone before leaving. She could hear a soft exaggerated ‘Oh my’ from Nicky in the distance. 

In the living room area, Quynh sat with her feet under her on the couch, almost perched, but nested into the corner of the couch. Nile gave her a faint almost sad smile and was about to walk on to her room when the other spoke. 

“It is not so easy.” Quynh said, speaking softly. “To just say I love you. It is a task to be held.” 

Nile stopped, her face darkening a bit in blush, a hand coming up to rub her cheek. “You heard all that?” 

“I’ve known. For some time. Andromache and I spoke about it off and on.” 

“ _Andy_ knew?” Nile said in utter surprise. Hell, she didn't even know SHE felt for him when Andy was still alive. 

“Andromache knew much. She understood things before most people did. Then there were times she understood little when it came to her and I. Booker is the same, in a way.” Quynh patted the seat beside her, giving a questioning look, as if asking the other if she would sit with her. 

Moving to the couch, Nile did in fact sit with her. Not on the other side of the couch like she might have ages ago, but in the middle, close to the other. She pulled her feet up under her and curled up beside the smaller woman. “How did she know?” 

“She knew because she understood Nile and Booker. Because she was able to catch the small glances. Have you not noticed those?” She said softly, sliding an arm over Nile’s shoulders and leaning into her. The two women almost cuddled together on the couch, heads close and speaking so softly, so no one else could hear. 

This was between them. No one else needed to know. 

“I guess I haven’t.” 

“I suppose you wouldn’t as they are always directed at you when you least expect them.” She smiled so faintly. Quynh rarely smiled, but when she did it was almost secretive. “He has looked at you ever since returning. Before returning. He knew you would be a leader, so naturally he fell in line when you told him to. When you informed him that he had to be clean, and take their side. Family first.” 

“Wait, that… that was a private conversation between the two of us.” Nile said in surprise, turning her head to look questionably to the other. When Booker came back to the pub 100 years later, after Andy had passed on. After all it had felt wrong. She had asked him if he was ready. If he was willing to give up the drink. To pass on the depression spirals. To put family first. To talk to them. ANY of them, if he ever felt like it was too much again. 

He agreed and she welcomed him to her team, to their family, with open arms. 

Quynh’s smile grew a bit, and she raised a finger to her lips. “Shh, I have my own secrets.” 

“You are a sneaky one, Quynh.” Nile said with a pleased tone. “I am so glad to have you at my back and not at my blade.” 

“I am glad to be here, my Nile. You will always have me at your back, and I will always be an ear to talk to.” She wrapped her arm around Nile a bit tighter, and their heads rested together. She continued to speak so softly. “But remember, Sebastien is not as dense as he seems. He knows you are flirting with him. He, as Joe put it, respects you more than himself.”

“Well, that’s crap.” Nile said in a pout, arms crossing under her chest. 

“IS it? To be respected is crap?” The other asked in a teasing voice, knowing what Nile meant. 

“No, I mean… you know what I mean. He’s changed so much. He’s gotten so much better. He smiles more, and he seems to love the small things in life. A good book does more than make him smile now, it delights him. The smell of fresh bread from the old market place makes him light up. Stopping to pet a cat on a wall, or to pick a damn flower. He’s lightened. Brightened. It’s... “ she let out a sigh and whispered “It’s damned attractive.” 

“Yes, and you see all of these things, where he may not.” The other said softly, reaching a hand up to stroke through Nile’s braids, tracing the scalp with fingernails softly. “But you saw him too before he got better, my Nile.” She pointed out. 

“You saw him when his only comfort _was_ a new book. You saw him before he allowed himself to delight in things. You smiled at him before he learned to smile again.” 

Nile raised her hands to her face, scrubbing at it, hiding her eyes as pin pricks of tears started to form in them. “Then why is this so hard?” 

“Because he doesn’t understand that he is ready to be seen by you.” She whispered, secretly. “He thinks he’s too old. Too burned out. He still believes he’s a mess when in fact, you have been helping him clean up.” 

“He’s not a mess!” Nile said a bit too loud, then whispered, in a pout. “And he’s not too old. That’s silly. I thought time didn’t matter after a while.” 

“Time does not, but he seems to think age does.” 

“That’s bullshit.” She said, sitting up more now, looking back at Quynh. “Seriously? He thinks he’s too old for me?” 

“He was 42 when he died. You were almost 27. He thinks that _matters._ It does not. Not any longer.” 

Nile rubbed her face once more, frowning deeper. 

“Well?” Quynh asked, a mischievous look in her eyes while Nile wasn’t looking. “What are you going to do about it?” 

“I don’t know.” Nile said, but moved to stand. She looked dark and stern, like she was ready for battle. “But I’m going to go fix this now. And Lord help me if it ruins everything.” 

“It will not, my Nile. You know where to find him.” 

“I do.” 

Exactly where she had left him. 

Booker sat in the spare room. The office, for the most part. It was where they took intel from Copley and had the computers stashed in this house. It was conveniently on the second floor and away from the ears of the other three. 

Coming up the steps as silently as she could, she found him in the office, the laptop open, but a book in his hand, indulging in some reading as the program they had worked on together ran and did it’s thing. 

She moved, reaching for his chair and turning it around to face her 

It took Booker by surprise, his book closing, thumb holding its place. “Uh, yes?” 

Nile leaned forward, her hands coming up to touch his face. Pushing back his floppy longish hair and clearing it away from his brow. She leaned there and stared at him, at his eyes, as if checking him out. She let her hands push his skin back a bit to be taunt across his face, so his brows didn’t seem so sad. 

She held his face, staring into it, searching over his eyes and forehead, at the cracks at the corner of his eyes. At his nose, and lips. Then she let go. 

“You’re full of shit.” 

“ _Répète?_ ” Come again, he asked? A brow raised high at that. Had he done something? Said something? He thought the two of them had gotten through a lot of work today! What did he do now? He sat his book aside, watching her carefully. 

Nile grabbed her chair, spun it around and sat down in it backwards, leaning on the back, her arms crossing and her eyes staring at the other. “How old do you see me as?” 

Well, THAT was a question. Booker drew back, both brows lifted now. “What’s brought this up?” She was so close to him, and the heat in that glare she directed at him had him twice as confused as normal. 

“Answer the question, please.” She insisted. 

He moved to draw back a bit, but she reached out to grab his arm, making him stay there, close, in her gaze. He lifted his other arm and rubbed at his nose a moment, confused still. “I suppose you’re closing in on a few hundred years now.” Nile still stared at him, so he corrected himself. “One hundred and ninety seven.” He said the exact year now, as if he had kept count. 

Most of the time Nile barely kept count once she hit one hundred. These last 97 years just blurred together. It was nice that someone was keeping count. Nicer still that it was Booker. 

“And you think I am too young?” She prompted after that. 

He blinked, slowly and widely at that, drawing his head back. “Boss…” He said softly, wanting to back out of this conversation suddenly. 

“Don’t ‘boss’ me. Do you think I am too young?” 

“To lead? No. Of course not. You’re talented and smart, brilliant beyond your years when we first met you. You… you’re fine. What’s brought this on?” 

She let go of his arm but leaned forward in her chair, tilting it back some. Staring at him. “Am I too young for _you_?” THAT seemed blunt. He had to get that. 

But Sébastien “Booker” Le Livre looked startled at the question, then rolled his neck, head tilting back so he didn’t have to look right at her staring into his soul. “You're not too young, Nile. Age has nothing to do with leading.” 

“Oh. Oh my _GOD_ , Sebastien!” She could cry. Standing she moved the chair, stepped closer and grabbed his shoulders, wanting so badly to shake him. “I’m trying to tell you I _love_ you, you _fool_!” Her hands came up to his neck, to his jaw, his cheeks, softly pulling him to look at her again. 

This time he stared at her, blue eyes wide and wondering. Both brows lifted, and for a moment Nile thought she pushed it one word too far. But they all had said it. To be blunt with him. “If I am not too young to lead you, and you know the exact year of my age, then I am not too young for _you_. You are not that much older than me, and don’t you dare interrupt me to tell me you are so very much older than me because you are not. Years don’t matter anymore!” 

“I…” Booker started, letting her hold his face. Letting her gripe at him about her age. About his own. She knew he was going to interrupt with the fact that he was much older than her. Hundreds of years older. Though he was still a young one among the Old Guard.

“Is it because I died at 27 and you died at 42? Because that’s bullshit too.” 

“Nile…” He started again, yet again he didn’t finish his sentence. He just stares, a sympathetic and almost sad look crossing his face. 

The hot sad man.

“Well? What is it if it’s not the age difference?” She insisted, letting her hands soften around his face, one moving to pet his cheek before reaching up to push back his hair again. “What is it that makes you completely dumb to my advances? Why is it you can’t… you can’t _see_ me?” 

He reached his hands up to take the one from his jaw, holding it in both hands. “It’s partly that. Nile, I’m much older than you. You deserve someone--” 

“Better? Don’t you dare say--”

“Better than me.” 

Nile Drew back completely, reached out to the desk and grabbed a blunt letter opener, drawing it like her dagger and stabbing it into his gut. Or… more… poking him with it. With a small grunt, as if she had stabbed him with it. She huffed, and poked him again a few more times. 

There was an honest laugh from Booker, his hands reaching down to cup around her hand, around the blunt letter opener. “Was that Nicky’s advice? Stab me?” 

“Yes. Did it work?” 

He took the pointed object away from her, reaching for the desk and missing, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. Instead of worrying about that, he reached up both hands to her cheeks, sliding along her jaw, then leaned forward to kiss her. Swiftly, and with a passion of a French man. 

He leaned up into where she stood, almost coming up out of his seat, drawing her close as he kissed her, strongly, like he couldn’t hold back this time. Like if he didn’t kiss her this time he might float away on a wind and scatter to the seven seas. His fingers curled at her jaw and neck and he leaned in more, moving to stand with her, lowering his one hand to pull at her back, pulling her to his body as he leaned down into the kiss still. He didn’t let it up until she did, and she wasn’t backing away. 

It was Nile that did back away though, after some odd minute, to catch a breath and her balance. Leaning into him and looking up at him with surprise in her bright brown eyes. “Guess it worked…” 

“Nile. I’m not the right person for you.” he started, still holding her close, strong arms keeping her body to his. 

“You’re the only person for me.” She countered. 

“Only because I’m the only immortal left in this bunch. You weren’t left with a lot of options, and I might be the worst one to choose.” 

“Shut up! You do act like I’m a nonsensical child who can’t make up her own mind. I stayed with Moose for a while you know. I’ve had lovers before. It’s not like I can’t do that again if I choose. You being immortal too is just an added bonus. It means you can’t get rid of me.” 

“Nile…” Booker started again, tone sad and unsure. 

“Stop saying my name like that, Book. I’m not a child. I’m not thoughtless. I’ve had long enough to understand and know what I want. I want you. I respect you. I _adore_ you. You and I work well together, you’re just so caught up in your own self depreciation that you can’t see it.” She huffed, but lifted a hand to his cheek, stroking it softly. 

“Please, Booker. Look at me. _See _me. I’m right here before you and I love you, okay? I honestly can’t be anymore blunt about this. Do I need to stab you again, because I will.”__

__This brought a smile to Booker's face, sad at first, but then brighter. He leaned down, nose to her nose, nuzzling it for a moment, before pecking a single kiss to her lips, then whispering. “Okay.”_ _

__“Okay? I tell you all that and all I get back is Okay?” She protested softly in her own smile, nuzzling his nose back. This was better. Much better._ _

__“Okay.” He said with a nod, then whispered back. “It’s going to take a bit though. You know I respect you. I love you too. I have for some time. Since the campfire talk. Since you called my bullshit, and even after. There’s always been something there that I had to hide. It’s… it’s not fair to you. The me like this. The me before you.”_ _

__“Booker…” she said softly, looking up to him and leaning into him. “You can’t see how brilliant you are, can you?”_ _

__He frowned at that, that softly confused look on his face again._ _

__If she could tell Quynh those words of how she felt, she can damn well tell him. “You’re so bright now. From when we first met to now. You’re bright and stunning. You smile more. You take delight out of the smallest things. You walk in a room and I light up just seeing you now. It’s because you have gotten yourself out of your downward spiral. You’ve taken time to grow. I can see it. They can see it. Why can’t you?”_ _

__He seemed taken back by this, opening his mouth then closing it, unsure of what to say next._ _

__“You’re not the sad handsome man that you once were.” She added softly._ _

__“Apparently I’ve always been handsome, hmm?”_ _

__“Sad and handsome, yes.” She said with a smile, continuing. “But you’re not that man anymore. Why can’t you see it?”_ _

__“I suppose you’re right.” He finally said. Bowing his head and smiling a sheepish smile. “It’s mostly because of you. You believed in me when I was sure none of the others did. You reached out to me. You let me say goodbye to one of my oldest friends. You…” He sucked in a breath, thinking about Andy was still hard. But he continued. “You built me up when I was low. When you walk into a room I feel lighter. I feel the need to make you proud of me. To love me.”_ _

__“To love you?”_ _

__“Yes. I want you to love me.” He admitted, pulling her tighter to his body with both arms wrapped around her._ _

__Her arms snaked up around his neck and she pulled him down to her, nuzzling his nose once more. “No regrets?”_ _

__“Some regrets.” He corrected her._ _

__“And those might be?” Nile asked, curious._ _

__“That I didn’t kiss you sooner.” He said, and pulled her in for another long and passionate kiss, as if he had to make up for so much lost time._ _

__From the hallway, a shadow of a figure peeked in on them from the stairs, smiling tenderly before she backed away and walked back down to her couch._ _

__Some time after that Nicky called out “Dinner, kids!” And knocked on the wall of the stairs. “Stop working and come down for food.”_ _

__“I think work is over for them, Nicolo.” Quynh said as she sat her book down and moved for the kitchen to dish herself up. Nicky looked at her with a confused glance._ _

__Joe brightened. “Ah, our little Quynh knows something we don’t.”_ _

__Just then Nile and Booker came down the steps and into the kitchen. Nile looked brilliantly happy, her hand clasped to Bookers and leading him to the counter to dish up._ _

__“Oh.” Joe said, and smiled knowingly to Nicky, grinning._ _

__“Oh!” Nicky said with a grand smile, passing the two plates. “I see.”_ _

__“What?” Booker said almost surly, as if being chided for something or left out of an inside joke. His hair was mussed, more than normal and he hadn’t fixed it._ _

__Nicky leaned over to give a small kiss to the temple of Bookers head, then reached up to fix his hair for him. “It’s about time.”_ _

__“You hadn’t even noticed, Nicky.” Joe pointed out with a laugh. “But he is right. It is about time.”_ _

__Nile chuckled, grabbing food and letting Booker’s hand go. It was silly to be poked at like this, but nice as well._ _

__“So. What did you have to do to get our wondrous Booker to listen?” Nicky asked, sitting down at the table with Quynh._ _

__“I stabbed him?” She chirped proudly to Nicky._ _

__Nicky held out his hand to Joe, waving it in the air. Joe reached out and pulled a bill from his pocket, tossing it to his love with a roll of the eyes._ _

__“I told you it was good advice!”_ _

__The five of them sat at the table together, Nile beside Quynh, beside Nicky, beside Joe, rounding it off with Booker on Nile’s left, where he always was and had been. It’s not a perfect family, but it suits them all just fine._ _


End file.
